Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray attempts a pass during a practice last Friday in Athens, Ga. The fifth-ranked Bulldogs open the season Saturday at No. 8 Clemson.

OK, ACC, this is your chance.

The first month or so of the college football season is as much about how conferences fare against each other as it is about which teams win.

The Atlantic Coast Conference, forever trying to shed its reputation as the fifth best of the major football leagues, gets three shots to knock off the neighborhood bully SEC during the opening weekend.

On Thursday night, North Carolina takes on No. 6 South Carolina, one of six Southeastern Conference teams ranked in the Top 12 of the AP preseason poll.

Virginia Tech can pull off a huge upset Saturday when it faces No. 1 Alabama in Atlanta.

The main event comes Saturday night in Death Valley — the one in South Carolina.

No. 8 Clemson plays No. 5 Georgia. It’s the Tigers’ third straight game against the SEC after losing to South Carolina to end last regular season and beating LSU in the Chick-fil-A bowl.

The MAC is coming off one of its most successful seasons and Toledo and Ohio are both expected to be championship contenders. ULM was an early-season darling in 2012, knocking off Arkansas and nearly beating Auburn and Baylor. Nevada’s pistol offense is potent and Pittsburgh brings a tough defense, though not much offense, to its ACC debut. Eastern Washington is one of the top FCS programs in the country.